‘Pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility’: Attorney General Ellison statement on guilty plea in death of George Floyd
Say plea is ‘important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation’ and ‘a necessary resolution on the continued journey to justice’
May 18, 2022 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane entered a plea of guilty to the charge of second-degree manslaughter in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued the following statement:
Today my thoughts are once again with the victims, George Floyd and his family. Nothing will bring Floyd back. He should still be with us today.
I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death. His acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation. While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice.
Because the State is preparing for the June 13 trial of defendants J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao on charges of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, Attorney General Ellison will have no further comment at this time.
